Paint shield for windows

ABSTRACT

A one-piece spring clamp has ends which engage opposed mullions or caulking frictionally. The clamp presses a cardboard paint shield firmly against the adjacent window pane.

iliie States Patent it ihheee [54] PAINT SHIELD FOR WINDOWS [7-2] Inventor: Lawrence F. Rlbbeeke, Brooklyn, N.Y.

[73] Assignee: Sapolln Paints, lnc., New York, N.Y.

[22] Filed: Nov. 19, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 97,426

[52] [1.8. CI ..ll8/505 [58] Field ofSearch ..l18/504, 505; ll7/8.5,38; 292/259 [56] References Cited UNITE? STATES V H 7 1,562,948 1 1/1925 Elliott 1,005,934 10/1911 Brown et al ..292/259 2,627,839 2/1953 Hudgins et al ..1 18/505 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATIONS 395,238 7/1933 Great Britain ..292/259 Primary Examiner-Morris Kaplan Attorney-Marvin Reich [57] ABSTRACT A one-piece spring clamp has ends which engage opposed mullions or caulking frictionally. The clamp presses a cardboard paint shield firmly against the adjacent window pane.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PAINT SHIELD FOR WINDOWS The prior art exemplified by the Elliott U.S. Pat. No. 1,562,948 proposes a multi-part metal paint shield for windows wherein coacting opposed sections of the shield are provided, respectively, with a row of teeth and a bow spring engageable selectively with any one of the teeth. The formation of the teeth requires a metal stamping operation. The bow spring must be riveted to one shield section. The shield structure, while practical, is relatively costly and could not serve, for example, as a giveaway or promotional item by a paint manufacturer.

The object of the invention is to greatly simplify and improve upon the above prior art paint shield to such an extent that the cost of manufacturing the same is reduced to the point where it is feasible to include the product gratuitously with a supply of paintsold to a customer. The shield may, if desired, bear advertising material, such as the trademark of a given paint or a slogan. In some cases, the shield can be sold in a hardware store or the like for a very small amount of money profitably. The shield is manufactured from very inexpensive materials.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear during the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a window sash showing the shield of the invention in place on one pane of glass in the sash.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a spring clamp.

FIG. 4 is a similar elevational view showing a slight modification of the spring clamp.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout, the numeral designates the conventional window sash having rectangular glass panes ll separated by the usual mullions l2. Putty or caulking 13 may be utilized around the margin of each pane for sealing and securing purposes or, in some cases, removable strips of wood or the like may be used for this purpose.

The paint shield proper embodying the invention comprises a rectangular section 14 of cardboard which may be cut to size by the user to fit the window panes of a particular house or building. The shield section 14 should cover the entire glass pane and fit close to the caulking around the margins of the pane. In some cases, a small space is provided between the shield and caulking for a very narrow line of paint inwardly of the caulking. This is at the option of the user of the device. If desired, the shield can be prepared from cardboard in two overlapping adjustable sections instead of one solid section, as shown.

In all cases, the shielding device further comprises a bowed spring clamp I5 formed from a single thin strip of sheet metal, such as spring aluminum. Approximately a one inch wide strip is adequate and the dimensions of the clamp are not critical. Crimpable aluminum stock is employed so that flat end portions or feet 16 may be formed on the spring clamp by the user by simply bending the metal strip on transverse lines indicated by the broken lines 17 in FIGS. 3 and 4. The degree of bending and the precise location of the bends may vary in different applications.

The feet 16 are preferably notched in their ends to provide at least a pair of pointed end teeth lfi to engage the caulking 13 or wooden molding strips frictionally. The bowed spring body 19 during use will tend to expand the flat feet longitudinally in opposite directions and the feet which are engaging the outer face of the cardboard shield 14 will press or clamp the same firmly against the window pane at the top and bottom thereof and preferably at the transverse center, as depicted in FIG. 1. If desired, a separate shield assembly as described, may be applied to each pane of the window sash at the same time so that the entire sash may be painted or sprayed without exercising great care. Where brush painting is being done, the user may wish to employ only one shield assembly, as shown in FIG.'1, moving the same from pane-topane as the work progresses.

FIG. 4 shows a slight modification of the spring clamp designated 15, wherein the ends of the clamping feet 16' have small serrations 20 formed thereon instead of the larger teeth 18.

The device is extremely inexpensive, embodies only two parts in its preferred form, requires no skill to use, and is highly effective. The spring clamp is provided and packaged in flat form and develops the required tension when formed or bowed by the user and bent near its ends as described.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred ex ample of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A paint shield for windows comprising at least one section of paint resisting sheet material shaped to cover substantially an entire window pane and engageable in flat form against one face of the window pane, and a unitary bowed spring clamp formed separately from said section of sheet material and adapted to extend across the window pane and to have its opposite ends expanded by spring tension into frictional engagement with caulking or molding strips at opposite margins of the window pane, the opposite end portions of the spring clamp engaging said section of sheet material and pressing it firmly against the window pane, said bowed spring clamp formed from an initially flat strip of crimpable spring metal strip stock, and clamp being longer than the dimension of the window pane which it is intended to span prior to bowing by the user, said bowing developing in the clamp the required tension for clamping said section of sheet material against the pane, and said spring clamp formed to provide substantially flat and relatively short clamping feet on the opposite ends thereof, and oppositely facing pointed projections on said feet for direct engagement with said caulking or molding strips.

2. The structure of claim 1, and said projections comprising a pair of tapered teeth on each end of the spring clamp at the opposite sides thereof.

3. The structure of claim 1, and said projections comprising multiple serrations formed on each terminal end of the spring clamp in a transverse row. 

1. A paint shield for windows comprising at least one section of paint resisting sheet material shaped to cover substantially an entire window pane and engageable in flat form against one face of the window pane, and a unitary bowed spring clamp formed separately from said section of sheet material and adapted to extend across the window pane and to have its opposite ends expanded by spring tension into frictional engagement with caulking or molding strips at opposite margins of the window pane, the opposite end portions of the spring clamp engaging said section of sheet material and pressing it firmly against the window pane, said bowed spring clamp formed from an initially flat strip of crimpable spring metal strip stock, and clamp being longer than the dimension of the window pane which it is intended to span prior to bowing by the user, said bowing developing in the clamp the required tension for clamping said section of sheet material against the pane, and said spring clamp formed to provide substantially flat and relatively short clamping feet on the opposite ends thereof, and oppositely facing pointed projections on said feet for direct engagement with said caulking or molding strips.
 2. The structure of claim 1, and said projections comprising a pair of tapered teeth on each end of the spring clamp at the opposite sides thereof.
 3. The structure of claim 1, and said projections comprising multiple serrations formed on each terminal end of the spring clamp in a transverse row. 